.TH SLAPD-PERL 5 "RELEASEDATE" "OpenLDAP LDVERSION"
.\" $OpenLDAP$
.SH NAME
slapd\-perl \- Perl backend to slapd
.SH SYNOPSIS
ETCDIR/slapd.conf
.SH DESCRIPTION
The Perl backend to
.BR slapd (8)
works by embedding a
.BR perl (1)
interpreter into
.BR slapd (8).
Any perl database section of the configuration file
.BR slapd.conf (5)
must then specify what Perl module to use.
.B Slapd
then creates a new Perl object that handles all the requests for that
particular instance of the backend.
.LP
You will need to create a method for each one of the
following actions:
.LP
.nf
  * new        # creates a new object,
  * search     # performs the ldap search,
  * compare    # does a compare,
  * modify     # modifies an entry,
  * add        # adds an entry to backend,
  * modrdn     # modifies an entry's rdn,
  * delete     # deletes an ldap entry,
  * config     # module-specific config directives,
  * init       # called after backend is initialized.
.fi
.LP
Unless otherwise specified, the methods return the result code
which will be returned to the client.  Unimplemented actions
can just return unwillingToPerform (53).
.TP
.B new
This method is called when the configuration file encounters a 
.B perlmod
line.
The module in that line is then effectively `use'd into the perl
interpreter, then the \fBnew\fR method is called to create a new
object.
Note that multiple instances of that object may be instantiated, as
with any perl object.
.\" .LP
The
.B new
method receives the class name as argument.
.TP
.B search
This method is called when a search request comes from a client.
It arguments are as follows:
.nf
  * object reference
  * base DN
  * scope
  * alias dereferencing policy
  * size limit
  * time limit
  * filter string
  * attributes only flag (1 for yes)
  * list of attributes to return (may be empty)
.fi
.LP
Return value: (resultcode, ldif-entry, ldif-entry, ...)
.TP
.B compare
This method is called when a compare request comes from a client.
Its arguments are as follows.
.nf
  * object reference
  * dn
  * attribute assertion string
.fi
.LP
.TP
.B modify
This method is called when a modify request comes from a client.
Its arguments are as follows.
.nf
  * object reference
  * dn
  * a list formatted as follows
    ({ "ADD" | "DELETE" | "REPLACE" },
     attributetype, value...)...
.fi
.LP
.TP
.B add
This method is called when a add request comes from a client.
Its arguments are as follows.
.nf
  * object reference
  * entry in string format
.fi
.LP
.TP
.B modrdn
This method is called when a modrdn request comes from a client.
Its arguments are as follows.
.nf
  * object reference
  * dn
  * new rdn
  * delete old dn flag (1 means yes)
.fi
.LP
.TP
.B delete
This method is called when a delete request comes from a client.
Its arguments are as follows.
.nf
  * object reference
  * dn
.fi
.LP
.TP
.B config
This method is called once for each perlModuleConfig line in the
.BR slapd.conf (5)
configuration file.
Its arguments are as follows.
.nf
  * object reference
  * array of arguments on line
.fi
.LP
Return value: nonzero if this is not a valid option.
.TP
.B init
This method is called after backend is initialized.
Its argument is as follows.
.nf
  * object reference
.fi
.LP
Return value: nonzero if initialization failed.
.SH CONFIGURATION
These
.B slapd.conf
options apply to the PERL backend database.
That is, they must follow a "database perl" line and come before any
subsequent "backend" or "database" lines.
Other database options are described in the
.BR slapd.conf (5)
manual page.
.TP
.B perlModulePath /path/to/libs
Add the path to the @INC variable.
.TP
.B perlModule ModName
`Use' the module name ModName from ModName.pm
.TP
.B filterSearchResults
Search results are candidates that need to be filtered (with the
filter in the search request), rather than search results to be
returned directly to the client.
.TP
.B perlModuleConfig <arguments>
Invoke the module's config method with the given arguments.
.SH EXAMPLE
There is an example Perl module `SampleLDAP' in the slapd/back\-perl/
directory in the OpenLDAP source tree.
.SH ACCESS CONTROL
The
.B perl
backend does not honor any of the access control semantics described in
.BR slapd.access (5);
all access control is delegated to the underlying PERL scripting.
Only
.B read (=r)
access to the
.B entry
pseudo-attribute and to the other attribute values of the entries
returned by the
.B search
operation is honored, which is performed by the frontend.
.SH WARNING
The interface of this backend to the perl module MAY change.
Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

Note: in previous versions, any unrecognized lines in the slapd.conf
file were passed to the perl module's config method. This behavior is
deprecated (but still allowed for backward compatibility), and the
perlModuleConfig directive should instead be used to invoke the
module's config method. This compatibility feature will be removed at
some future date.
.SH FILES
.TP
ETCDIR/slapd.conf
default slapd configuration file
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR slapd.conf (5),
.BR slapd (8),
.BR perl (1).
